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MLB en bref : Kodai Senga veut rester à New York | Le marché des partants

Kodai Senga veut rester à New York

Il préfère ne pas être échangé.

Le marché des partants

De quoi a-t-il l’air, en ce moment?

Tatsuya Imai pourrait signer sous peu, lui.

Tout est sur la table

Signer Dylan Cease ne freine pas les Blue Jays ailleurs.

En attente

Pete Alonso et Alex Bregman auront sans doute ce qu’ils veulent, mais pas maintenant.

Willson Contreras et les Cards

Il ne voudrait pas quitter.

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Kyle Schwarber should be the first domino to fall

With the exception of Josh Naylor, the market for position players has been very quiet so far. However, things could change quickly.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Kyle Schwarber could be the first major domino to fall on the free agent market this winter, perhaps even before Major League Baseball’s winter meetings get underway in Orlando on Sunday.

Passan reiterated that the Philadelphia Phillies remain the favorites to get their hands on Schwarber, but also named the Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets as teams still in the running for the big left-handed slugger.

The mention of the Mets at the heart of the matter is interesting, as they are also in the dance to acquire the services of Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Framber Valdez, to name but a few.

With Pete Alonso currently a free agent and Brandon Nimmo recently traded to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien, the Mets need a big stick to bolster the power of a lineup led by Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor.

A potential signing of the 33-year-old would likely mark the end of the Alonso era in Queens and make a Mark Vientos trade more likely.

Schwarber hit a personal-best 56 long balls last season with the Phillies while posting a .240 batting average during the 162 games he played in the regular season. He has hit 46 or more home runs three times in the last four campaigns.

Schwarbomb is expected to initial a four-year deal with an annual value in excess of $30 million.

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The Kyle Tucker file could stretch to 2026

Probably the biggest fish in the sea that is the free agent market, Kyle Tucker still hasn’t found his next Major League Baseball destination. So far, so good.

However, the star outfielder’s case could drag on longer than usual. Indeed, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, we may have to wait until 2026 to see the outcome.

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The market for this year’s top free agent could potentially stretch into the new year. In the end, no one can improve a team like Tucker, and whether it’s Toronto, Philadelphia, or a New York team, Tucker will get a 10+ year contract for over $300 million, with an even higher cap hit possible.

Two things to keep in mind here.

First, there appear to be four suitors to acquire Tucker’s services, including the Toronto Blue Jays.

Second, no matter where he lands, the 28-year-old will initial a huge pact in the next few weeks, despite being slowed by injuries in the last two seasons, and a month-and-a-half slump in 2025.

In 136 games for the Chicago Cubs this season, Tucker posted a .266 batting average, hit 22 long balls, produced 73 runs batted in and accumulated a 4.6 WAR. His career OPS+ is now 140 and he has a WAR per 162 games average of 5.8. This is no mean feat, and it pays off.

The Cubs, for their part, won’t be in the derby, having paid a lot of money to get their hands on him, only to lose him for absolutely nothing. Good management (insert sarcasm here).

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The Blue Jays have Pete Fairbanks in their sights

With a quality number-one reliever in 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays would have a World Series ring on their finger right now. That’s why, despite the fact that it’s not customary for the team to spend big in the bullpen, the Blue Jays need to be aggressive in this area this winter.

And it looks like they are, with the Canadiens having held discussions with Raisel Iglesias, Phil Maton and Ryan Helsley, the top three relievers signed since the free agent market opened.

And it looks like it’s not over yet. After the news that their division rivals, the Baltimore Orioles, signed reliever Ryan Helsley this weekend, the Blue Jays are now being linked to former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, according to Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic.

With Ryan Helsley off the market, Pete Fairbanks could be next in line. The Blue Jays and Miami Marlins are among the teams interested in him, according to industry sources.

Anything can always happen on the free-agent market, but the Marlins are a team that won’t be able to outbid a wealthy outfit like Toronto for a free agent that both want to acquire.

In fact, Miami’s main motivation for spending money this off-season may just be to avoid a potential grievance from the MLB Players’ Association. The door therefore seems wide open for the representatives of the Ontario metropolis.

Fairbanks had an eleven-million-dollar club option that the Rays, true to form, declined. The 31-year-old would offer the Jays another option if Jeff Hoffman’s inconsistency persisted in 2026, or could even start the next campaign as the number one reliever, which would be the ideal scenario.

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Bo Bichette: “I think the Blue Jays are the favorites”

Next week, in Major League Baseball, it’s winter training time. The result? Rumors will be more numerous than ever… and many big names are expected to sign contracts.

Will Bo Bichette be among them? Quite possibly, yes. He’s sometimes expected to sign sooner than others.

Of course, the market that is undoubtedly keeping the closest eye on the matter is Toronto. The Blue Jays don’t want to lose their infielder (not if Kyle Tucker decides to sign elsewhere, at least), who is in demand across the circuit.

If Bichette is willing to sign elsewhere than at shortstop, he’ll have even more opportunities.

It’s not clear how good a chance the Blue Jays have, but Chris Jimenez (former player and MLB Network expert) believes the Blue Jays are currently the favorites.

He believes the Queen City club is doing a good job and deserves to be in the driver’s seat regarding Bichette.

Bichette has often said he wants to come back, but he can’t say otherwise publicly. But in recent years, the rumor mill has been churning that the guy wanted to leave.

Did Dylan Cease’s arrival, Vladdy’s long-term contract and the club’s success in 2025 change that? Because if his reasons have to do with Canada and the people who run baseball operations, for example, those things can’t change…

But hey. Now that we’re in December, things should be moving in a different direction. I don’t think it’ll be too long before we have more details.

His return to Toronto (at shortstop or second cushion) would be a game-changer.

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Red Sox salary cap won’t please fans

Currently, the Boston Red Sox have a projected payroll of $225 million. But we all agree that they’re still missing some elements.

We know that the club wants to add at least one big hitter, in addition to depth guys. A #2 pitcher is still on the club’s radar, and we don’t imagine anyone would say no to relief help.

But to get the team of his dreams, Craig Breslow is going to have to get creative and pick up guys on the cheap. But why? Because the Red Sox aren’t really going to want to spend too much.

According to journalistSean McAdam, the Red Sox are open to exceeding the first luxury tax threshold, but not the second. The first would generate losses that the club is willing to mop up, but going further than that wouldn’t be in the plans.

The first threshold is $244M and the second is $264M. So at the most, the club’s imposed cap is around $39M.

If Alex Bregman (who earned $40m a year on his old short-term contract) returns, we can expect to see 3/4 of the remaining potential budget allocated to the veteran. That wouldn’t leave much room for anything else.

Under current conditions, signing two stars would therefore not be possible. And even then: would Bregman want to sign long-term with a club that wouldn’t do much about his potential return?

In reality, it looks like the money is there to extend the contracts of youngsters (which is a great idea), but not for veterans. For example, Sonny Gray and the Sox haven’t talked contract since the deal.

The Red Sox are going to have to play with the big boys.

When you see clubs like the Yankees and Red Sox complaining about not making money, you realize that yes, many big-market club owners are going to push for a salary cap. It’s inevitable.

PMLB
  • The Giants have a limit too.

  • Targets for the Rays.

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MLB in brief: The Blue Jays and up-and-comers Jacob Misiorowski and the Brewers

The Blue Jays and relievers

They held discussions with Raisel Iglesias, Phil Maton and Ryan Helsley, the top three relievers to sign since the free agent market opened.

Jacob Misiorowski and the Brewers

There’s not much talk of a long-term contract.

A’s Stadium

This will be something.

What a sequence

Yadier Molina was not happy. He manages in a winter league.

Still in winter baseball, Ronald Acuna Jr. is on the move.

Bad progress

Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies are far from a deal.

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Sandy Alcantara to the Yankees: “a good chance it will happen”

Will the Miami Marlins trade Sandy Alcantara?

At the moment, I find it hard to believe. The Marlins want to spend a little more than they used to (presumably to avoid a grievance) and Alcantara, whose value isn’t at its peak on the trade market, is the only player there making a lot of money.

But because the Marlins are the Marlins… who knows what can happen.

And on that subject, Jim Bowden, who is still well-connected in baseball even though his years as GM are behind him, said he believes Sandy Alcantara has a “good chance” of being traded… to the Yankees.

We don’t know exactly what he’s basing this on, but he mentions the fact that there have been discussions between the two organizations to consider sending the former Cy Young winner to the Bronx.

What Bowden is saying is that should the Yankees ever sign Kyle Tucker (which isn’t an unrealistic scenario if Hal Steinbrenner ever wanted to reach into his pockets), trading Spencer Jones for Alcantara would make more sense.

Of course, in such a scenario, we’d have to pay Alcantara ($17.3 M in 2026 and a $21 M club option in 2027) and Tucker. We’d also have to agree to part with Jones, a big prospect in the outfield.

But those would be two big catches.

If the Marlins (who would have to add salary if Alcantara were ever traded) were ever to part with their starting pitcher, doing so within two years of his autonomy would not be illogical, in order to maximize his value.

But in reality, this club must try to push WITH Alcantara. It didn’t go badly for the Florida club in 2025… parts could be added… and Alcantara could, if he’s in top form, help his team push for the playoffs. The club finished four games out of the playoffs in 2025.

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Blue Jays could trade Joey Loperfido this winter

Joey Loperfido was a promising prospect in the Houston Astros organization before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024, the Texan outfit having no real room for him.

And now it’s the Blue Jays’ turn to have a surplus in the outfield, possibly making the 26-year-old a trade chip this winter, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

Loperfido spent most of 2025 stuck in the outfield in Toronto, appearing in just 41 games. He produced when he had the chance, Loperfido hitting four home runs with fourteen runs produced and a .879 OPS in 104 at-bats. With five years of control remaining, he could be part of a deal to get a pitcher in Toronto.

Not only do the Blue Jays already have too many outfielders to promise Loperfido significant playing time, but it remains possible that Toronto could get their hands on a quality free agent in the outfield, either Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger.

What’s more, the only reason Loperfido made the Jays’ roster in the last playoffs was the injury to Anthony Santander, who will either occupy an outfielder’s spot next year or a pinch-hitter’s position, which would mean George Springer would be able to play right field.

As mentioned above, Loperfido still has five years of team control and remains a young player with potential, which will certainly make Major League Baseball clubs interested in acquiring his services.

With Jose Berrios also rumored to be headed elsewhere, the Jays could concoct a package that could bring them a good starting pitcher or a solid reliever, a crying need in the Ontario metropolis.

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Ryan Helsley agrees with the Orioles

We knew the Baltimore Orioles were looking for some relief help. The club was looking for a ninth-inning specialist, and now they’ve got one.

Ryan Helsley and the Maryland club have agreed on the terms of a two-year contract.

Basically, the former Cardinals and New York Mets pitcher will earn $28 million over two years if he stays on his contract for two years. But he has an option to opt out in one year.

Jeff Passan gave the details of the deal.

Basically, Helsley looked bad in New York in 2025 and that cut him off from opportunities on the market. Had he become a free agent just a year ago, he would have had quite a bit more than a two-year contract.

Now he’ll have the chance to redeem himself in Baltimore as a closer. He didn’t choose to sign as a starting pitcher, a decision he could have made if he wanted to.

In other words, the Orioles are still able to fill their needs. We knew they wanted relief help, and we also knew they wanted a good bat. Helsley and Taylor Ward fill those needs.

All that remains now is to contract a top-notch starting pitcher.

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